Well, tomorrow officially opens the course, so I thought I’d put out some additional information for those of you who intend to get out there and give it a go.

Navigation Tips

For those of you who are not seasoned navigators, and are taking this on as a navigational exercise, here are some tips and information that will help:

1. If you are accustomed to orienteering maps, this race is a little different in that you will be navigating on a “topo” map in scale 1:25,000.  At this scale, as a rule of thumb, one finger width is about a 1/4 mile, and so 4 finger widths = 1 mile.
2. Altitude plays a role in this race, and I would consider an altimeter “mandatory gear”.  There will be checkpoints placed where one of the clues is the elevation.  Remember to check/calibrate any barometer-based altimeters often, when you pass known altitudes.
3. You will be asked to plot the Start, finish and checkpoints, based on UTM coordinates.  It is not difficult, but you might want to read up on it beforehand – it is basically like plotting x and y coordinates.  If you don’t have plotting tools, I can highly recommend the plotting tools from ARNavSupplies.  Here is a list of their navigation supplies.  Look for the one that has scale 1:25,000.
4. I also highly recommend participating in this navigation clinic that Racing With Giants are putting on, with the help of Mark from ARNavSupplies.

 Mandatory and Recommended Gear

The following is a list of mandatory and recommended gear.  There will be no gear check of course, but the release waiver will ask you if you understand what gear is mandatory, and if you are bringing it.

Mandatory Gear

1. Map and clue sheet as provided by TrackMe360
2. Compass
3. Altimeter
4. GPS recording device as provided by TrackMe360, water-proofed
5. SPOT (provided by TrackMe360 or your own)
6. Suitable first aid kit
7. Water container

Recommended Gear

1. Gaiters
2. Gloves
3. Protective eyewear/sunglasses
4. Electrolyte tablets
5. Long pants
6. Sunglasses
7. Sun block / lip balm
8. Water treatment system.  Recommend Klear Water.

A few words about Water

At the end of April, I ran into several creeks with clear, running water, which if treated would be fine to drink.  Some of these may dry up though as summer arrives.  However, there are several water taps/fountains available.  The map identifies where drinkable water comes out of a tap or drinking fountain, with the letter “W”.  There is water at the start and finish.  Your race strategy may very well incorporate strategic stops at the letter “W”, in order to go light and fast.  Take the temperature forecast into account.  Much of the course has direct sun exposure, and it is only going to get hotter.  Start early in the day if you can.

Hazards on the course

You should be well aware of the standard things to consider when going out in California, but if you haven’t spent much time in areas like Mount Diablo, here some things to at least be aware of:

1. Rattlesnakes (I didn’t see a single snake there yet, but they are about)
2. Steep terrain (there are brief sections of the course where using your hands will be useful, hence gloves are recommended).
3. Beware of rock fall below you when you travel up the canyon as a team.
4. Poison Oak (PO) - PO is present on sections of the course, but you can avoid it if you pay attention.  I have tried to steer clear of PO to any extent possible.

Once you register, you’ll get some additional information.  That’s it for now.

Mats J. (mats@trackme360.com)

Registration is open! To register your team, click here.

Event Sponsors:  SPOT, Inc. and SleepMonsters

April 22, 2008 – Folsom, California. TrackMe360 today announced the first in what we hope will be a series of Northern California training races, offered to adventure racing, rogaine and orienteering enthusiasts in the area.  Based on the principles of “Low Impact Racing”, these races are unlike any other. 

Consider it an opportunity for a fun and challenging work-out in an amazingly scenic place – a place where you’d normally never get a permit approved for a race.  The course will bring out the best this area has to offer.  It’s a race, but not in the traditional sense.  The main difference is teams don’t race simultaneously, and that’s what allows us to race without permits, but a nice side benefit is that people can decide when they want to race (within the race month), to fit their busy schedules.  CP markers will be minimal, just a small piece of flagging.  No pre-race meeting, no finish banner – just you and the mountain.  Could it be any more authentic?

How it works

• -Register for the “race” online at TrackMe360.com
• -Receive the map and a GPS recording device before your chosen “race day”.  For safety and redundancy in CP marking, you also get a SPOT satellite tracker.
• -Receive CP coordinates at 9 PM evening before “race day” via e-mail – plot your map.
• -On race day, go race, and the GPS device records your route.
• -Next day, mail back the GPS device and SPOT to TrackMe360.com
• -As soon as the GPS device is received, your results will be posted on the TrackMe360 leader board, “ladder style”, meaning as other people race, the leader board will reflect the order from fastest to slowest teams.
• -After the last day the race is “active”, the winning team is crowned, and all teams’ routes will be posted online on a map, for “post race analysis”.
• -This is all done under the “honor system”, and is considered a training race “with benefits”.

Race #1: Mount Diablo Mountain-O

Our first TrackMe360 Training Race takes place in the vast East Bay park area of Mount Diablo.  A moderately challenging course has been designed to showcase the best the area has to offer, with some fairly significant vertical gain, and opportunity for route choice.  The views are incredible throughout, and both courses include a non-technical canyoneering section.

-General Location: Mount Diablo near Danville, CA
-Race is active: Month of May, 2008
-Disciplines: Foot only.  Some trail, some cross country, non-technical canyoneering
-Topo navigation on brand new “Mount Diablo and Los Vaqueros”  map – 1:25,000 – over 500 miles of trail has been mapped – very accurate
-Approximate distance: 13 mi. (short course) and 18 mi. (long course)
-Approximate duration: 3.5-6.0 hrs (short course) and 5.0-9.0 hrs (long course)
-Approximate vertical gain: 3,900 ft. (short course) and 5,500 ft. (long course)
-Course designed and pre-run by: Mats Jansson (Aquan/RWG)
-Divisions: Mixed open (any combination of gender and age), team size 1-4
-Registration: $49/team ($39/team if you have your own SPOT), and includes a $5 donation to the “Save Mount Diablo” foundation.
-Prize: Post race raffle among all “finishers”: SPOT Satellite Personal Messenger (a $150 value)

To register your team, click here.  If you have any questions, please e-mail mats@trackme360.com

Baja, Mexico – March 28, 2008

Dear Mats!

Thank you so much.  This gadget saved my butt, by keeping my girlfriend up to speed on where I am, and providing peace of mind.  I will certainly rent from you again.  I’ll e-mail you with a link to the story of the trip (long and funny) when I write it all up.

Take care,

Alex Gershenson, Santa Cruz, California

(Alex rode his enduro motorcycle solo through the length of Baja over the course of 7 days in March 2008)

May 23-26, 2008 – Central Florida.  Adventurous Concepts is pleased to announce this year’s Florida Coast to Coast Adventure Race (FC2C) will be held on Memorial Day weekend, May 23-26, 2008. The race will feature “live tracking” using TrackMe360 GPS tracking services.  The FC2C race ranked 1st for most viewed adventure race in the US, 6th in the world, and ranked tenth out of 1,122 individual events in 2007 as per sleepmonsters.com worldwide.  The 3-day adventure race will be held in Central Florida where competitors will run, trek, kayak, bike, and navigate non-stop up to 72 hours. Teams are expected to provide their own support crew and kayaks. If you feel that you are not quite up to the challenge of a 3-day race, the FC2C has a relay category, which allows teams to have up to six team members, while any four are racing between transition areas. The FC2C is a USARA Adventure Race National Championship regional qualifier.

April 16th, 2008 – Folsom, California – Today, TrackMe360 announced its “Live Tracking” solution for Event Organizers.  Based on the revolutionary SPOT (Satellite Personal Messenger) GPS safety and tracking device, the solution provides event organzers with the following:

• One SPOT satellite tracker per team or person
• Safety features: Ability to call for non-emergency (HELP button), and emergency (911 button) assistance during the event
• Global coverage: SPOT uses satellite communications, so they work where cell phones don’t.
• Tracking maps: The trackers will automatically update “live maps” of where the teams are and have been geographically, using Google Maps hosted by SPOT.

The system was first put to use at the 2008 SOLE Baja Travesia in March, and several other races will feature the system over the next few weeks.  Among them, Untamed Revolution, Desert Winds II, Florida Coast-to-Coast Challenge, Odyssey Wild and Wonderful, and Untamed New England.

The system is much more affordable than any other systems out there.  Pricing starts at $25 per team for short events (less than 30 hrs). Contact mats@trackme360.com for more information.

Are you hiking a section of the Pacific Crest Trail this year?  If you are, consider renting a SPOT satellite tracker from TrackMe360 to keep friends and family updated on your whereabouts, and to be safe.  With a super-light (7 oz.) SPOT tracker from TrackMe360, people you know can follow your path online, and if you get yourself in some trouble, help is only a push button away.  Prices start at $29.95 incl. airtime and return shipping.  Click here for more info.

To better reflect our commitment to providing superior tracking solutions to outdoor enthusiasts, endurance athletes and event organizers worldwide, we changed our name to TrackMe360.com.  The response has been great – the name says it all.  Over the next few weeks and months you will see changes that make us much more than a place to rent cool GPS trackers.  TrackMe360 will become THE destination for adventurers far and wide to let fans, friends and family follow their journeys.

Adventurous Concepts, producer of the Florida Coast-to-Coast Adventure Race, today announced that they will feature a live leaderboard, hosted by SleepMonsters, with real time updates from team GPS trackers provided by TrackMe360, in the upcoming race.  Fans, family and friends will be able to follow each team’s progress online, as the race unfolds, complete with detailed Google Maps.  The system was recently put to the test at the 2008 SOLE Baja Travesia, AR Worlds qualifier, and was a resounding success.  Further improvements are expected for the Florida Coast-to-Coast, including more frequent updates, and without teams having to “punch in”.

Says race director Elias Jimenez – ”Live tracking was the realm of expedition races like Primal Quest.  TrackMe360 and SleepMonsters have created an affordable safety and tracking solution for 24+ hour races.  They have certainly addressed an existing gap for AR promoters who want to implement this type of solution but were previously constrained by limited budget.”

Lake Lucerne, Switzerland – April 18-20, 2008.  Untamed Revolution - For three days in 2008 (April 18, 19, & 20), experience a revolutionary event: orienteering and trekking for 3 stages over 3 days in Switzerland, with participants recuperating and relaxing each evening.  Each stage will highlight a different region and offer unique challenges; each evening you can sleep in a comfy bed. Navigation, self-sufficiency, and travel on foot will be the three consistent features of the stages.

Las Vegas, NV – May 10-11, 2008.  Desert Winds II – Those lucky souls who had a chance to participate in the 2007 Desert Winds, could not stop raving about this “Expedition Race in a Weekend” beautiful, challenging adventure race, put on by Las Vegas famous kayaker Robert Findlay from Kayak Lake Mead.  Featuring kayak orienteering and coasteering, this is an adventure race unlike any other.  Because of the remote course, and challenging terrain, Robert asked TrackMe360 to provide tracking and safety products for the race.